'I got mixed up confusion. Man, it's a-killin' me'

It was a very rushed and divided morning, as I was pulled between four wholly different tasks that were 'needy' of my time. I am trying to get ready for the big 'Flying Poets' day tomorrow, as we try to raise awareness of the huge cuts to the whole Library service that Gloucestershire County Council are about to axe, or scythe, which seems a more apt term.

I will be driving local author and poet, Marcus Moore, from Cirencester to Cheltenham, then on to Tewkesbury and finally back for all the poets to rendezvous at Stroud Library by closing time. I have offered to take pictures for any further publicity purposes. Helena just told me that the Library Service has BANNED any press stills or video cameras. As I am obviously an activist, does that apply to me. Is this Egypt? Astonishing nerve of these public servants (probably the senior management only, the ones whose jobs will remain) to stop the public, who pay their wages, from hearing about the imminent and drastic CUTS.

Friends of the Library Blog, with updates here

Coming back to today, I found a couple of shots, one of which was of our Town Council office window on the main street, which has a display promoting tomorrow's Potato Day, which sadly I will miss. Dennis Gould who I feature regularly, has provided potatoes, posters and fliers to decorate the window. It might have been my blip if I hadn't come across another shop window nearby, which has been empty for some time. The Halifax Building Society had down-sized and shrunk from two to one shop, and sold the adjacent premises.

I saw some activity deep within the shop and then widening my viewpoint, I was intrigued by the whole chaotic visual frontage, with the glass windows and door having been sort-of whitewashed. Why was a lonely photo-copier the only remaining piece of equipment and sitting in the front window? I lined up my camera pointing at the door. I thought it was going to be just another self-portrait, which regular viewers will know I have been promising to supply for some time. But where a part of the glass had been partially scraped cleaned, this gentleman bent into view, framed perfectly by the cleared glass. The addition of a pair of suspended feet added to the human element. I know some will say that this doesn't count as an SP.

I took another couple of shots of the whitewashed patterns, until the door opened and a man came out to ask what I was doing. I reassured him that I was just taking 'arty' pictures, showed him a couple of the images and then he told me that he had bought the shop and was opening a barber's salon. He hopes that his more upmarket approach will be a success. So do I. He seemed a kindly man. Sadly I had my quarterly hair-cut yesterday so won't be the first through the door, but will give him a go in due course. So good luck to Simon Dann, I say. At least another shop is now occupied again. I wonder who might take over the Library building when they eventually close, which may happen the way things are going.


ps
Thanks to Bob Dylan whose lyrics came straight to my mind when I saw this window, and then resonated with the rest of my day.